Eccentric potato slicer



Sept. 11, 1951 B. STAHMER ECCENTRIC POTATO SLICER Filed June 28, 1948 patented Sept. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT r OFFICE 2,567,248 i ECCENTRIC POTATO SLICER Bernhardt Stahmer, Omaha, Nebr. Application june 28, 1948, Serial No; 35,61i

4 Claims.

This invention relates to potato slicing machines and more particularly to improvements therein. i

In the past, potato slicing machines have been constructed having an excessively large number heretofore and adapted to reduce waste.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chute having at least two converging surfaces disposed opposite the plane of the outlet of the chute which surfaces in combination with a knife-carrying member disposed in the front of the outlet of the chute define a wedge shaped compartment whereby a sliceable object such as a potato or other rollable object in said chute in contact with a rotating knife-carrying member is driven downwardly and centrally in said wedge shaped compartment with opposite sides of said sliceable object engagin respectively the converging surfaces of the chute as points of contact. 7

Another object of the invention is the provision of corrugated knifes which cut slices having opposite sides of each slice corrugatedwith the corrugations on one side of each slice extending angularly with respect to the corrugations on the other side of the slice and intersecting each other to provide a plurality of holes through the slice.

A further object of the invention is to provide a potato slicer requiring less power for the performance' of a given job than heretofore.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a potato slicer adapted to produce potato chips of more marketable appearance and taste, and of less starch content than heretofore.

Yet a further object resides in the provision of a potato slicer for producing a potato chip having parallel arcuate corrugations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a potato chip which is provided with arcuate corrugations on two sides, the corrugations on one side being disposed sufiiciently transverse to the corrugations on the other side to provide a relatively strong chip.

A still further objectof the invention is to provide a potato chip as described which is perforated for more novel appearance.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose described which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Other and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a frontal elevation of the potato slicing machine of this invention, a portion of the forward wall being broken away to show knife carrying members therein, and portions of the knife carrying members being broken away to show the position of a hopper outlet.

Figure 2 is a view-in-section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1, a potato being shown in the position for skiving, and another potato being shown awaiting its turn.

Figure 3 is a view-in-section taken along the line 33 of Figure 1.

a knife carrying member of the invention showing the particular type of corrugated potato cutting blade employed.

Fi-gure 5 is a top plan view of the potato chip cut by the machine of this invention.

The potato slicing machine of this invention includes a frame having a front cover or plate ll] disposed normally vertical and in parallelism with a partial rear cover [2. The frame is mounted upon suitable brackets l4.

' A hopper I6 is provided extending downwardly from the upper side l8 of the frame. The hopper I6 is provided with slanted walls converging downwardly toward a hopper chute portion 20 which latter is inclinedly disposed with respect to the vertical downwardly toward the front cover I0.

The chute portion 20 is provided with an inner space, feed opening, chute portion outlet, or hopper outlet 22 preferably of a triangular shape in cross-section as best shown in Figure 1. .The space 22 is of a size in cross-section such that only one potato may be disposed in any given cross-sectional portion of the space 22. In other words potatoes 30 and 32 falling downwardly through the chute 20 from thehopper l6 must pass in single file through the chute 20. The three walls of the chute 20 preferably form an equilateral triangle with the side walls converging to a point at the lower end thereof, and the upper side being horizontally disposed gin'vertical section as bestseen. in Figure 1.

The walls of the chute 20 extend to and are coextensive with the walls of an equilaterally triangular potato opening 36 which latter is disposed through a plate 30.

The plate 38 is vertically disposed and is provided with apertures, not shown, therethrough for receiving later described axle shafts 40 and 42. The plate 38 is secured to the bracket I4 and top cover I8 by means of suitable brackets 44. The axle shafts 40 and 42 are each secured to one of a pair of paddles or knife carrying members 50 and 52 by means of nuts 54.

The shafts 40 and 42 are disposed in laterally spaced apart perallelism and in the same horizontal plane. The knife carrying members 50 and 52 are each disposed at a right angle with respect to their respective shafts 40 or 42. The knife carrying paddles 50 and 52 also rotate in the same vertical or approximately vertical plane and are approximately dumb-bell shape in frontal elevation for missing each other during rotation in opposite directions.

Each knife carrying paddle 50 or 52 is provided with one or two knife blades 60 secured to one or both of the ends of each paddle.

The knife blades 60 are each provided with a cutting edge 62 disposed spaced apart from the adjacent surfaces 64 of the members 50 or 52. Such spacing apart is in a direction parallel to the axis or axle of axle of rotation of the respective knife carrying member.

The knife carrying members 50 and 52 are each provided with one or more slots I0. Each slot is disposed through. the respective member 50 or 52 adjacent one of the knife blades 60.

The area center of the outlet opening 36 is at the point of intersection of two imaginary lines, each of said lines extendin from an axis of. a different one of the knife carrying members 50 and 52 at anangle of approximately 45 degrees with respect toaline extending between the axes 40 and 42.

The cutting edge 62;of each knife is preferably approximately radially disposed with respect to the axis of its paddle and each cutting edge is disposed overlapping a portion of its slot "I0.

The knife blades 60 are each secured to a holder 16 which latter is held in place in a recess 18 inits paddle member by means of a suitable screw 80 as best seen in Figure 3.

The cutting edges 62 are disposed adjacent and ofi-set from that side surface 64 of each paddle member which faces the potato opening 36.

Each slot I is provided, on the, side thereof opposite the knife 60, with a deflector 82- which latter comprises an elongated piece of metal having one end secured to the backsurface 84- of its paddle. Each member 82 also is provided with a portion overlapping itsslot I0 andcurved away therefrom.

Theedges 62- of each knife as well as the remainder of eachknife blade are corrugated as seen in Figure 4 both on that side thereof which faces the slot I0 and on the other side thereof. This isfor the purpose ofcausing a corrugated potato chip to be formed in operation.

As thus described it will be seen that the radial distances from each of the knives 60 to its respective axis 40 or 42 is substantially the same as the distance from its said axis to the outlet opening 36 so that in rotation the knives alternately pass acrossthe outlet opening36 and the paths of the knivesBO-intersect at the outlet openin 36.

The shafts 40are secured in-suitable-bearings mounting I 04.

The gears IIO are mounted so as to be driven i in opposite directions for causing the paddles directions I20 and I22.

In operation, when the potato 32 shown in Figure 2 is struck by the blade 62 of the paddle member 52, a chip is skived from the potato 32. Such a chip is generally shown at I30 in Figure 5.

The chip I30 is provided with alternate ridges I32- which are disposed in parallelism with each other. The ridges I32 onone side of the chip I30 are disposed in arcuate parallelism because of the circular paths of the knives 60.

The same side of the chip I30 is also provided with alternate parallel furrows I34 disposed between the ridges I32 and in parallelism therewith.

Previous cutting actions cause alternate parallel arcuate ridges I40 to be formed in the opposite side of the potato 32 and later on the chip I30. Also, alternate arcuate parallel furrows are formed on the same side as the ridges I40 and between the latter.

After the knife blade 62 on the upper end of the paddle 52. has skived a chip from the potato 32, the knife blade 60 on the upper end of the paddle 59 skives another chipv I30 from the potato 32. The knives on the opposite ends of the paddles then eachskivea chip in their turn.

Where the furrows on one side of the chip I30 intersect the furrows on' the other side of the chip, a plurality of perforations I44 are provided. By cutting a thicker chip, the perforations I44 may be eliminated, if desired, although they tend to add to the novelty and appearance of the chip.

It will be seen that the ridges I32 on one side of the chip I30 intersect the ridges I40 on the other side of the chip. I30 at a largeacuteangle which is almost a right angle. This angle, is made larger in proportion to the distance to one side of the axes, of the paddles and 52 at which the potato 32 is held when skived.

It will be seen that if the opening 36 were disposed directly between the axle shafts 40 and 42 the angle formed between the ridges I32 and I40 would be small. A large angle is desired in order to give thechipmaximum strength for resistance to bending in all directions. Consequently either the whole hopper outlet 36 or at leastthe area-center of the hopper outlet 36 is disposedjabove-a line between the axes 40 and 42.

If the ridges I32 and theridges I40 were disposed almost parallel the chip could be easily broken in transit and, in packing.

After the potato 32 has been completely skived, other potatoes such as the potato illustrated at 30 will move under the influence of gravity, one at a time, through the chute 20 to become skived.

It is to be notedthat I have invented a machine for slicing sliceable objects such as potatoes or other, rollable objects comprising at least first and second knife-carrying members 50 and 52. rotatablein an upwardly; extending firstT-plane'and mounted respectively-on first and second parallel axes or shafts 40 and 42 with an end portion of the-second member following inthe path of an end portion of-the first member. The shafts 40 and 42 are laterally spaced apart and lie; in asecond plane'substantially normal to the first plane. The feed chute has anoutlet end 36 disposed downwardly of an inlet endfor gravity feed with the outlet 36 terminating in a plane adjacent and substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the knife-carrying members. The outlet 36 has first and second downwardly converging edges forming a substantially wedge shaped opening with the apex thereof pointing downwardl'y and being located sulbstantially midway between the axes or shafts 40 and 42 near a lineextendingfrom one of said axes to the other. The major portion of the outlet 36 is above the second plane in which the two shafts 40 and 42 lie. The edge of the outlet 36 which is closest to the shaftlll may be characterized as the first edge of the outlet and the edge of the outlet which is closest to the shaft 42 may be characterized as the second edge of the outlet. The chute 20, as shown in Figure 1, has at least two converging surfaces disposed opposite the plane of the outlet. These surfaces are inclinedly disposed-with respect to the plane of the outlet both as seen in horizontal crosssection and in vertical cross-section and are disposed converging'ly toward each other and toward the plane of the outlet and define with a knife-carrying member disposed in front of the outlet a wedge shaped compartment .whereby a sliceable object, such as a potato or other rollable objects, in said chute in contact with a rotating knife-carrying member is driven downwardly and centrally in said wedge shaped compartment with opposite sides of said sliceable object engaging respectively said converging surfaces as points of contact. The end portions of the knife-carrying members'50 and 52 each have an elongated corrugatedknife 6|] for alternately passing across said outlet toslice said sliceable objects and to drive the sliceable objects downwardly and centrally into said wedge shaped compartment to hold same securely and to advance the same toward the plane of the knife-carryin members, the path of the knife on said first member sweeping from the top of said wedge shaped outlet 36 toward the center of the bottom thereof and describing a cutting path in the-same general direction as the first edge'of the wedge shaped outlet and the path of the knife on the second knife-carrying member 52 sweeping from the top of said wedge shaped outlet toward the center of the bottom thereof and describing a cutting path in the same general direction as the second edge of the wedge shaped outlet. The corrugated knives cut slices having opposite sides thereof corrugatediwith corrugations on one side of each slice extending angularly with respect to the corrugations on the other side of the slice and intersecting each other to provide a plurality of holes to each slice.

As thus described, betweenloadings of the hopper the feeding of the potatoes is automatic. Following skiving each chip passes through one of the slots 10, is deflected by the deflector B2 to prevent breakage, and fallsbetween the frame members [0 and 38. From there chips canbe conducted to a cooking vat.

It will'be seen that this invention has provided a machine the area center of the outlet epsn in of which is spaced apart sufliciently from a line extending between the axes 40 and 42 of its knife carrying members that as knives on dif ferent ones of said members pass by the cutting area of the outlet opening 36 they will describe substantially non-parallel arc portions.

This invention has provided a potato chip machine which is adapted to form potato chips of a corrugated appearance and which have greater strength than heretofore. This invention has also provided an automatic potato chip machine of few and simple moving parts which is adapted to cut potato chips at great speed.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that an eccentric knife potato slicer constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed. 1

I claim:

I. A machine for slicing sliceable objects comprising at least first and second knife-carrying members rotatable in an upwardly extending first plane and mounted respectively on first and second parallel axes with an end portion of the second member following in the path of an end portion of the first member, said axes being laterally spaced apart and lying in a second plane substantially normal to said first plane, a feed chute with an outlet end disposeddownwardly of an inlet end for gravity feed with the outlet terminating in a plane adjacent and substantially parallel to said first plane of rotation of the knife-carrying members, said outlet having first and second downwardly converging edges forming a substantially V-shaped opening with the apex thereof pointing downwardly and being located substantially mid-way between the axes near a line extending from one of said axes to the other, said first edge of the outlet being on the side thereof closest to said first axis and said second edge'of the outlet being on the side thereof closest to said second axis, said chute having at least two converging surfaces disposed opposite the plane of the outlet, said surfaces being inclinedly disposed with respect to the plane of the outlet both as seen in horizontal cross-section and in vertical cross-section, said surfaces being disposed convergingly toward each other and toward the plane of the outlet and defining with a knife-carrying member disposed in front of said outlet a wedge shaped compartment whereby a sliceable object in said chute in contact with a rotating knife-carrying member is driven downwardly in said wedge shaped compartment with opposite sides of said sliceable object engaging respectively said converging surfaces as points of contact, said end portions of the knife-carrying members each having an elongated corrugated knife for alternately passing across said outlet to slice said sliceable objects and to drive the sliceable object downwardly into said wedge shaped compartment to hold same securely and to advance the same toward the plane of the knife-carrying members, the

path of the knife on said first member sweeping fronithe: top of said V-shaped outlet toward the bottom thereof and. describing a cutting. path in thesame general direction as the first edge of the V.- shap,ed outlet and the path of the knife on the sec-ond knife-carrying member sweeping from the top of said V-shaped outlet towardthe bottom thereof and describing a cutting path in the same general direction as the second edge of the V-shaped outlet.

2. A machine for slicing rollable objects comprising at least first and second knife-carrying members rotatable in an upwardly extending first plane and mounted respectively on first and second-parallel'axeswith an end portion of the seconcl-v member following in the path of an endportion'of the first member, said axes being spaced apart and lying in a second plane substantially normal to said first plane, said knife-carrying members being counterbalanced, a feed chute with an outlet end disposed downwardly ofan inlet end for gravity feed with the outlet terminating in a third plane adjacent and substantially parallel to said first plane of rotation of the.-knife-carrying members, said outlet being located between said axes and having first and second downwardly extending edges converging toward each other and forming a wedge shaped opening pointing downwardly,. said chute having at least two converging substantially straight surfaces disposed opposite the plane of the outlet, said surfaces beinginclinedly disposed with respect to the plane of the outlet both as seen in horizontal cross-section and in vertical crosssection, said surfaces being disposed convergingly toward each other and toward the plane of the outlet and defining with a knife-carrying member disposed in front of the said outlet a wedge shaped compartment whereby a rollable object in said chute in contact with a rotating knifecarrying member is driven downwardly and centrally in said wedge shaped compartment with opposite sides of said rollable object engaging respectively said converging surfaces as points of contact, said end portions of the knife-carrying members each having an elongated corrugated knife for alternately passing across said outlet to slice a rollable object and to drive said object downwardly into said wedge shaped compartment to holdsame securely and to advance the same toward the plane of the knife-carrying members, the path of the knife on said first member sweeping from thetop of said wedge shaped outlet toward thecenter of the bottom thereof and describing a cutting path in the same general direction as one of said edges of the wedgeshaped outlet and the path of the knife on the second knife-carrying member sweeping from the top of said wedge shaped outlet toward the center of the bottom thereof and describing a cuttingpath in the same general direction as the other edge of the wedge shaped outlet, said corrugated knives cutting slices having opposite sides thereof corrugated with the corrugations on one side extending angularly with respect to the corrugations on the other side and intersecting each other to provide a plurality of holes therethrough.

3. A machine for slicing rollable objects comprising a casing, at least first and second knifecarrying members mounted in the casing and rotatable in an upwardly extending first plane and mounted respectively on first and second parallel axes with an end portion'of the second member following in the path of an end portion of the first member, said axes beingspaced apart and lying in a second plane substantially normal to said first plane, 'said' knife-carrying members being counter-balanced, a feed chute with anoutlet end disposed downwardly of an inlet end for gravity feed with the outlet terminating in a third plane adjacent and substantially parallel to said-first plane-of rotation of the knife-carrying; members, said outlet beinglocated between saidaxes--and-havingrfirst-and second downwardly extending edges converging toward each other and forming awedge shaped opening pointing downwardlysaid-chute having at least two con verging. substantially straight surfaces disposed opposite the plane of the outlet, said surfaces being inclinedlydisposed with respect to the plane of the" outlet both as seen in horizontal cross-section and in -verticalcross-section; saidsur-faces being disposed convergingly toward each other and toward the plane of the outlet and defining with a knife-carrying member disposed in front of said'outlet a wedge shapedcompartmen t whereby a-rollable'object in said chute in contactwith a rotating knife-carrying member is driven-downwardly and-centrally in said wedge shaped compartment with opposite'sidesofsaid rollable object engaging. respectively said converging surfaces as pointsof contact, said end portions of the knife-carrying members each having an elongated corrugatedknife for alternately passing across said outletto slice-a rollable object and to'drive said-object downwardly into said wedge shaped compartment to hold. same securely and to' advance the same toward-the plane of the knife-carrying members, the path of the knife on said-first member sweeping from the-top of said wedge shaped outlet toward the center of the bottom thereof and describing a cutting path in the same general direction .as one of said edges :of the wedge shaped outlet and the path of the knife on the'second-knife-car-rying-member sweeping :from'the top: of said wedge shaped outlet toward the center of the bottom thereof and-describing a cutting path in the-same general'direction as theother edge of the wedge shaped outlet, said corrugated knives cutting slices having opposite sides thereof corrugated with the corrugations on one side extending angularly with respect to thecorrugations on the otherside and intersecting each other to provide a plurality-of holes therethrough.

4. Amachine for slicing sliceable'objects comprising at leastfirst and second knife-carrying membersrotatable in an upwardly extending first plane and mounted respectively on first-and second parallel axes with an end portion of the second member: following in-the pathof an-end portion of thefirst member, said axes. being spaced apart andlying in asecond plane substantially normal to said first plane, said knifecarryingmembers being counterbalanced, a feed chute with an outlet enddisposed downwardly of an inlet end' for' gravity feed with the outlet terminating ina third plane adjacent and sub-i stantially parallel to said'firstplane of rotation of the knife-carrying members, said outlet being locatedbetweensaidaxes with a major portion thereof located above said second plane and having first and second downwardly extending edges converging toward each' other and forming a wedge shaped opening pointingdownwardly, said chute having atleast-two converging substantially straight surfaces disposed opposite the plane of the outlet, said surfaces being inclinedly disposed-with respect'to the plane of the outlet both as seen in horizontal cross-sectionand'in vertical cross-section, saidsurfaces being disposed convergingly toward each other and toward the plane of the outlet and defining with a knifecarrying member disposed in front of said outlet a wedge shaped compartment whereby a sliceable object in said chute in contact with a rotating knife-carrying member is driven downwardly and centrally in said wedge shaped compartment with opposite sides of said sliceable object engaging respectively said converging surfaces as points of contact, said end portions of the knife-carrying members each having an elongated corrugated knife for alternately passing across said outlet to slice a sliceable object and to drive said object downwardly into said wedge shaped compartment to hold same securely and to advance the same toward the plane of the knife-carrying members, the path of the knife on said first member sweeping from the top of said wedge shaped outlet toward the center of the bottom thereof and describing a cutting path in the same general direction as one of said edges of the wedgeshaped outlet, and the path of the knife on the second knife-carrying member sweeping from the top of said wedge shaped outlet toward the center of the bottom thereof and describing a cutting path in the same general direction as the other edge of the wedge shaped outlet.

BERNHARDT STAI-IMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,281,964 Hawes et a1 Oct. 15, 1918 1,597,063 Czarski Aug. 24, 1926 1,965,500 Knott July 3, 1934 1,972,586 Etter Sept. 4, 1934 2,411,333 Orland Nov. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 363,752 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1931 130,605" Austria Dec. '10, 1932 

